Head of Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) House Andrea Lam

Andrea Lam DP1A

Being the new Head of House of Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) would be my very first official leadership experience, after pretty much sitting on the sidelines as a follower throughout my school life, I decided that it was time to give back, and contribute to the school community. LKY house has been a big part of my secondary school experience, and that was always because of great and inspirational leadership from the previous Heads of Houses. Now, taking on this new and daunting role as a Head of House, I hope to form lasting bonds with not only my peers, who will be ever so important on this journey, but to also get to know the students of LKY house personally. I haven’t been an actual titled Leader before, and with such a big role and responsibility, the one thing that has really impacted and inspired me so far is the knowledge that in a group, the most important are not the leaders themselves but more so those that they lead.

One of the most enlightening quotes I have heard about leadership was by Chris Hadfield who said “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success and then standing back and letting them shine”. I guess it jumped out at me because this is how I hope and aspire to lead as the biggest fan of all the students in my house. I never really thought about being a Head of House for the title, much like many of my fellow House leaders, but simply because I want to be a part of the lives of my juniors in the house. As a leader, I hope that when the students of LKY house go out into the world after secondary school, which might be a long way away, they would be honest, supportive and enthusiastic individuals, who have the self-confidence to confront any challenge they face head-on with grace, wisdom and kindness. To reflect that as a house leader, I hope to encourage our house to be in support of other houses as well. I know that might be a stretch, given that we are all so competitive, but I would like LKY members to be participating in house events with the thought of being gracious winners and supportive losers, acknowledging that all houses did their best and that we’ll get them next time.

I hope that our school community will be one of teamwork and enthusiasm, that we all stand united as one school, not 4 separate houses. As the new and rookie, which we all are but some more than others, Head of House I hope to do as Henry Ward Beecher said, “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone expects of you. Never excuse yourself”. I hope to learn well and own my mistakes as I lead LKY awesome students, with bright futures ahead of them, so when they look back and think of their secondary school lives they will remember their friends and memories they have made as a part of LKY. I am grateful for this opportunity as house leader. Fueled by the rush of being someone who affects the lives of so many amazing LKY students, I look forward to taking on this formidable year with the rest of my house, with hope and excitement for what is to come.